Saturday, March 19, 2005

The Maggots Are Falling Like Rain

Actually, not really. But how often can you use a lyric from a Gwar song as the title for a post? This post was inspired, though, by this story of British doctors using maggots to treat leg ulcers. Apparently, the maggots will eat all of the diseased or dead flesh from the ulcer, but will eat each other rather than eating any healthy flesh. It sounds like the 18th Century returning, but maybe the idea isn't that bad. There seems to be a growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is caused by people who don't finish taking their antibiotics after they start to feel better. The maggots take place of using antibiotics in these leg ulcer cases. But is it really a good idea? I don't know. I'd be interested in hearing more about this from anyone out there with any more information on this topic, especially doctors who either have heard of this maggot treatment or about antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In the meantime, I'll try not to have nightmares about maggots feasting on the rotting flesh of my open leg wounds.